For the forthcoming agricultural season, Burundi will need to immediately get more than 3,000 tons of fertiliser. To assist with this purchase, the African Development Bank Group will mobilize close to $4 million. With the assistance, the nation will be able to buy fertilizer for the start of the season in May. Estimates place the nation's seasonal requirements at 145,000 tons.
On behalf of President Évariste Nadyishimiye, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning of Burundi, Mr. Audace Niyonzima, requested this assistance during a meeting with the president of the African Development Bank on April 7, 2023 in Abidjan.
In order to help fulfill the urgent demands of the first phase, the Bank would deploy two ongoing projects from its current portfolio in Burundi, according to Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina. Another potential will be investigated for later phases.
Additionally, the Bank will assist Burundi in pursuing chances to work with other international organisations, such as the World Food Programme, to explore fertilizer buying options.
The Burundian government was urged by Adesina to push fertilizer industry reforms. For increased transparency in the distribution of fertilizer to recipients, he suggested creating an electronic wallet (e-wallet).
The meeting was a continuation of the discussions between Dr. Adesina and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye on food sovereignty and resilience at the most recent Dakar 2 summit in January 2023 and was centered on specific issues.
President Adesina reaffirmed the Bank's dedication to helping the government raise funds for Burundi's Food and Agriculture Delivery Compact, which totals $200 million over five years and was agreed upon during the Dakar 2 Summit. With other significant partners, such as the Netherlands, the World Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, discussions for financing the compact are currently under way.
In order to accomplish this, the Bank has raised over $1.3 million to support technical studies for the creation of agro-processing zones and irrigated regions in Karusi and Cibitoke.
The parties also discussed regional integration at the meeting. In order to build the Uvinza-Musongati-Gitega portion of the Tanzania-Burundi-Democratic Republic of Congo railway, which connects Tanzania and Burundi, Adesina stated that the Bank intends to invest roughly $100 million. In September 2023, the idea will be introduced to the board of directors.
Adesina told the Burundian government that the Bank will support other partners in raising the remaining money needed to complete the Tanzania-Burundi railway line, which will cost $1.4 billion to complete and has already raised roughly $645.76 million.
Included among the senior Bank team who met the delegation were Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Beth Dunford; Martin Fregene, Director of Agriculture and Agribusiness; Abdul Camara, Deputy Director General for East Africa and Pascal Yembeline, Country Manager for Burundi.